


Choices

by Silverdrift



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Choose Who Dies, Hostage Situations, Kidnapped, Modern AU Implied, Whumptober, no happy ending, saying goodbye
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:35:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26784502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silverdrift/pseuds/Silverdrift
Summary: An accident... That's all it was...But it was Ashe's fault even still... now, a few years later, it all comes back to haunt him when his partners Caspar and Ferdinand go missing and Ashe is faced with a choice he never wanted to have to make...but maybe... maybe this is his chance to set things right.
Relationships: Caspar von Bergliez/Ferdinand von Aegir/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert
Comments: 8
Kudos: 7
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Choices

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Whumptober 2020...
> 
> Uh... Yeah. Um... Yeah. lol 
> 
> enjoy?

“I-I… I choose me…”

The man before him seemed surprised, even through the mask meant to hide his identity, staring at Ashe. “Oh?” 

“You said… You said I have to pick who dies…” Ashe clarified, voice wavering some. Yes. He was afraid. He knew he was taking a gamble on this… that all of them could die… but if this person was who he thought it was... Then there was only one reason they took the two people that meant more to him than anything in the whole world, and why they put him through this sick game… “B-But It’s me you’re after… isn’t it? I’m unarmed… I’m not going to fight you… I can’t… So If… If I surrender… If I choose myself to die so you can have your revenge. Then you’ll let them go… won’t you? Your quarrel isn’t with them. No need to add innocent blood to your hands.”

“Hmm… interesting proposal..” The man spoke, voice distorted and disguised. “My intention was to make you suffer… to have you feel what it’s like to lose one of those you love… One of your  _ family _ …”

“It was an accident!!” Ashe shouted, tears pricking at his eyes. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her… and I know ultimately what happened was my fault but I-”

“Shut up! I don’t want any more of your excuses!” He yelled back. “You were supposed to keep us safe! You were supposed to keep us safe… and you failed! You failed her! Your negligence cost her her life and you have the audacity to stand here and...and…” He let out a long frustrated breath turning away with his hands on his mask for a moment to collect himself. When he turned back around, he pulled the gun off his belt, pointing it at Ashe with unwavering determination. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter now… If this is your decision, then-”

“W-Wait... “ Ashe didn’t flinch from the gun, a bittersweet smile slowly coming to his face. “Will you let me say goodbye? Even if I don’t deserve it… I think they do…”

The man hesitated for a moment… then pulled out his phone, gun still aimed. “Fine… but make it quick.”

“Thank you…” 

The man dialed in a number, waiting for the person to answer before putting it on speaker. “Put him on the phone.”

There were sounds of struggling in the background that grew louder, like the person with the phone was moving closer to the person being held captive… Through the loud, angry voice spouting rather creative curses could be heard clearly from the start.

“C-Caspar?”

The struggling stopped abruptly and the shouting grew quiet. “Ashe… A-Are you ok?”

“Yeah… I’m… I’m ok.” Ashe answered with a relieved, but pained sort of laugh. “What about you?”

“Eh, I’m fine! I’ve had a lot worse!”

“That’s… not really comforting Cas…”

“Oh. Right. Probably not…” Caspar went quiet for a moment.

The man growled softly. “I said make it quick.”

“Hold on… They told me you had to choose… If you are talking to me, does that mean that…”

“No… I…” Ashe whined softly and took a breath. “I needed to tell you goodbye… I… I made my decision.”

“Oh? Who are-” 

Ashe didn’t need to see Caspar’s face to tell the exact moment that Caspar came to the conclusion that he was going to be the one to die. 

“O-oh! Right….” Caspar cleared his throat, pushing fear down and laughing a bit nervously. “Good… good choice then. I totally understand. Just-”

“Please take care of Ferdinand… ok…? I…”

“Huh?? Ashe… What are you-” There was a sharp gasp as the realization hit him. “Wait!! No! NO! Ashe, you can’t!”

“I have to! I… I have to…”

“ASHE. NO.”

“I-I love you, Caspar…so so much.”

“DON’T DO THIS TO ME DAMMIT! NO! PLEASE!”

“A-And… I know you’ll be ok… You both will...”

“ASHE!!!”

“I-I’m so sorry...” Ashe squeezed his eyes closed then as the line cut off, silencing Caspar’s frantic screaming though he could still hear it echoing faintly through the halls. The masked man didn’t waste any time dialing in a different number and ordering the other captive be put on the phone. Unlike before with Caspar, this room was quiet until the henchmen moved closer, then that familiar noble voice spoke up with a soft growl.

“Another step closer and you will come to regret it…”

“Ferdinand…”

“Ashe…!” 

“Yes. It’s me. Are you ok? I… There isn’t much time and-”

“Yes… I am alright, Ashe… I am more worried about you…” The soft tone of his voice did little to hide the concern and dread in his words. “They say you are to make a choice… That one of us has to die… I do not envy the choice, but might I make a request? One to hopefully sway your opinion in Caspar’s favor...”

“Ferdinand… I’ve already made my choice. Which is why I had to call and tell you goodbye…”

“Ah… Thank the Goddess… I was so afraid that you might choose Caspar and I… Admittedly, I do not think I could handle it. The both of you have so much more to achieve and-”

“No… Listen…”

“Hurry up! Don’t make me shoot you on the phone!” The man snapped again, pressing the gun to Ashe’s forehead with some force.

“Ashe… What is going on?” Ferdinand asked with panic rising in his voice.

“Ferdinand, I need you to keep Caspar out of trouble, ok? The best you can.”

“Do not tell me you mean to sacrifice yourself! You cannot do this! Ashe please! Reconsider! I-”

“Ferdinand, p-please don’t make this any harder on me than it already… already is… I can’t-” Finally he started to break down, sniffling and fighting back tears, though the attempt failed miserably. “I can’t lose either of you… Not like this… Not when this is my fault… It’s all my fault...”

“So your solution is to throw your life away?? We cannot lose you either, Ashe, please!!”

“I’m so sorry Ferdinand… I… I love you… I hope you’ll forgive me for this one day…”

“Nonononono, A-Ashe, I am begging you… _ Please! _ ”

The way Ferdinand’s voice cracked as he pleaded tearfully for Ashe not to do this could have killed Ashe all on it’s one. He heard his partner begin to struggle, trying to get free, panicking… It was too much. Ashe reached up and ended the call himself, a strangled sob catching in his throat. 

The man seemed to hesitate for a moment, the gun sagging a bit, almost as if seeing and hearing the pain from Ashe made him second guess his choice… but it was too late now. He had to carry through. He had to. Slowly he reached up and took off his mask, revealing a head of short silver hair and light green eyes… 

Just like Ashe.

“Ashe…”

Ashe lifted his head, hurriedly whipping his eyes and face in an attempt to face his brother and impending demise with some semblance of dignity. “Yes…?”

“I...I doubt you will… I’d see you burn forever in the eternal flame for this if I had my way... but if you manage to end up in the same place that she is… hug her for me… please…”

“I…” Ashe was a little surprised by the request… but a sad smile slowly pulled at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah…” He sniffled softly and nodded. “I’ll do that…”

His brother nodded then and took a breath, raising the gun back up again with a look of attempted anger… but only pain and sadness seemed to remain. “Any last words?”

“Yes…” Ashe breathed. “No matter how you think of me or what happened to our sister.. No matter how much you hate me… I… I need you to know that I love-”

_ BANG _

Ashe’s body crumpled to the floor in a heap before he could finish speaking. 

His brother stood, rigid except for his shaking hands, until the last echoes of the gunshot died away. His breathing was ragged… tears pricked at his eyes… but he soon forced it all back down, shoving the gun back on his belt and his hands in his pockets. Quickly he headed toward the door, stopping only to glance over his shoulder at the two men still standing with him in the room. “Once I’m gone… release them.. And I don’t care if they tear you lot to shreds, if anything should happen to them or you so much as raise a hand to either of them… I’ll kill you myself.”

“Uhhh… ok… what about the body, boss…?”

“Leave it…” He turned them back toward the door. “They’ll want to give him a proper funeral…”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> There will be a follow up on the 19th. See you then~
> 
> Come hang out with me on Twitter @silverdriftxiii


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